Study details

About the study

The Pester Study holds a large database which connects to descendants in US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Poland & Germany also have a long history of the name.

Variant names

Pestor, Peaster. Pestalosie/Pesterlosie (in Poland)

Overseas Pesterlosie became Pester once they left Poland and emigrated to the US.

Name origin

The name is old French old Latin and means Baker.

Historical occurrences of the name

There was once a newsagency called the Pester Lloyd that reported on foreign affairs in the London Times

Name frequency

The name has a high frequency in the County of Somerset with Devon following next and then Dorset.

Distribution of the name

The name is West Country based but records also show early occurances in London spreading out to the Southern Counties. with the North holding a very small number of individuals and a few families in South Wales who moved from the County of Somerset during the nineteenth century.

Overseas a high percentage left Poland from the Jewish community and emigrated to the US in the 1920's. There is a good population of Pesters in Germany. Many Somerset families emigrated to the US during the nineteenth century.

Data

Births, Marriages & Deaths 1837 - 2003, 1841 - 1911 Census. A growing photographic library some of which are mid nineteenth century photographs. A large collection of Newspaper articles. Wills, Immgration lists. A growing library of Parish transcripts of Baptisms Marriages and Burials holding some original photographic entries. Some US Census and Cemetary records. Trade Directory information. In other words a very large and comprehensive database. Including IGI's from other parts of Europe. Much of this data is discussed in our twice yearly 'Pester Roots,' newsletter.